Vitex agnus-castus plant named &#39;V07-2&#39;

ABSTRACT

The  Vitex agnus - castus  plant is of short height, has a compact form and dark pink flowers.

GENUS AND SPECIES

Vitex agnus-castus.

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

The new Vitex agnus-castus claimed is of the cultivar denominated‘V07-2’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Vitexagnus-castus hereinafter referred to by the varietal domination ‘V07-2’.

Pedigree and history: ‘V07-2’ originated from a cross of Vitexagnus-castus ‘Salinas Pink’ (unpatented, female parent) and Vitexagnus-castus ‘Abbeville Blue’ (unpatented, male parent) made in 2006under the direction of David Knauft. Seedlings from this cross weregrown in a field plot in Watkinsville, Ga. In 2006, a single plant,initially labeled 03-06, was identified and selected. This selectedplant had deep pink flowers and an attractive form. Cuttings were madefrom this plant, and distributed to Carol Robacker, who took over thisbreeding program in 2009. This selection was given the cultivar name‘V07-2’, and plants of this cultivar were planted in a replicated fieldplot (three reps, randomized block design) in Griffin, Ga. in the fallof 2009. ‘V07-2’ has been grown in an irrigated field plot in Griffin,Ga. Plants have been fertilized annually in the spring.

Mean panicle lengths and number of panicles per compound panicle werecounted each summer. First bloom and re-bloom dates were noted eachyear. Data was collected on leaf yellowing, leaf drop, thinning, andleaf spot in July, August and September of each year.

‘V07-2’ has been grown in an irrigated field plot in Griffin, Ga. Plantshave been fertilized annually in the spring. The height of these plantsafter five summers' growth averaged about 2.9 m. Stems are R.H.S. (RoyalHorticultural Society, 2001) brown N199A or 199B when older, round, withdense minute curved hairs and scattered longer curved hairs.

The trunk color is a mix of greyed-white 156A and grey-brown 199D. Stemstriations begin on large stems or trunks at about 2.5 cm diameter, withcracking and exfoliation noticeable at about 5 cm diameter. Leavesemerge with a green 137C upper surface, changing to a deeper green 137Aduring the summer, and becoming yellow-green 146A in the fall. Lowerleaf surface is greyed-green 191B throughout the season.

Leaves are palmately-compound, typically about 13 cm×14 cm, with mostlyseven leaflets. Margins are entire, with acute apices and bases. Theupper leaf surface has many scattered hairs, slightly glandular, whilethe lower surface is more densely pubescent and very glandular. Leavesare slightly waxy above, dull underneath. Venation is simple. Leafarrangement on stems is opposite.

Flower buds are red-purple 65C. Flowers occur in an elongated compoundpanicle, 22 to 26 cm long. At emergence, flowers are red-purple N74D,and become a darker red-purple N74C at full bloom. The peduncle isgrayed-green 193A. The number of individual flowers per inflorescenceranges from 254 to 632. Sepals are greyed-green 198A.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘V07-2’ plants have been evaluated for four years at the Griffin, Ga.site. Height and width data has been collected annually. Cold damage wasassessed each spring. Mean panicle lengths and number of panicles percompound panicle were counted each summer. First bloom and re-bloomdates were noted each year. Data was collected on leaf yellowing, leafdrop, thinning, and leaf spot in July, August and September of eachyear.

‘V07-2’ plants from cuttings were was planted into a field plot inGriffin, Ga. in June 2009. A ‘Salinas Pink’ was planted into the sameplot in June 2011. All data in the Tables are from rooted liners grownin one-gallon containers. Data given are averages of measurements madeon three plants of ‘V07-2’ and one plant for ‘Salinas Pink’.

The following characteristics have been consistently observed in theoriginal plant of this new variety and in asexually propagated progenygrown from cuttings and, to the best knowledge of the inventors, theircombination forms the unique characteristics of ‘V07-2’ as a new anddistinct cultivar. Asexual propagation by cuttings has proven that thesecharacteristics are firmly fixed in succeeding asexually propagatedgenerations.

-   -   1. Short height (Table 1);    -   2. Compact form (FIG. 3);    -   3. Dark pink flowers (FIG. 2).

‘V07-2’ is an improved pink Vitex as compared to the industry standard‘Salinas Pink’, the only commonly available pink Vitex.

Comparison. Height and width were measured annually. ‘Salinas Pink’ is ataller and wider plant than ‘V07-2’(Table 1). Both ‘V07-2’ and ‘SalinasPink’ begin flowering at the same time each year (Table 2). Both havemoderate repeat blooming during summer and fall (Table 3). Panicles on‘V07-2’ are generally a bit shorter, but with greater diameter thanthose on ‘Salinas Pink’ (Table 4, FIG. 1). Flowers of ‘V07-2’ are adarker pink than those of ‘Salinas Pink’ (FIG. 2). ‘V07-2’ has arounded, compact form, while ‘Salinas Pink’ is very irregular in growthhabit (FIG. 3). ‘Abbeville Blue’ has flowers that have a bluecoloration.

‘V07-2’ is an improved pink Vitex, as compared to the industry standard,‘Salinas Pink’. It is shorter in height (Table 1), has a more compactform (FIG. 3), and a darker pink flower (FIG. 2).

Vitex agnus-castus is a deciduous shrub or small tree used inlandscapes. This drought tolerant plant may be grown in cold hardinesszones 6 through 9. During cold winters in zone 6, it may die back to theground, but will likely re-grow from the roots and produce a floweringshrub during the following summer, as flower buds are formed on newgrowth. Late spring freezes in zone 7 may also cause cold damage anddieback, but the plants recover and bloom during the summer.

‘V07-2’ has been and is propagated vegetatively by stem cuttings.

TABLE 1 Height and width (cm) of Vitex ‘V07-2’ and ‘Salinas Pink’ one,two and three years after planting in a field plot in Griffin, Georgia.Data for ‘V07-2’ is the average of three plants. Entry Year 1 Year 2Year 3 ‘V07-2’ 145 H × 222 W 172 H × 236 W 245 H × 292 W ‘Salinas Pink’118 H × 142 W 228 H × 291 W 297 H × 370 W

TABLE 2 Flowering characteristics of V07-2 and ‘Salinas Pink’ grown inGriffin, Georgia. First First First bloom bloom bloom Entry 2011 20122013 ‘V07-2’ 5-30 5-14 6-10 ‘Salinas Pink’ — 5-14 6-10

TABLE 3 Repeat flowering in July, August, September and October in 2011,2012, and 2013. Entry Year July August September October ‘V07-2’ 2011 0*1.7 2.2 0 2012 1.3 3.0 4.0 0.7 2013 0.7 0.3 1.3 1.2 ‘Salinas Pink’ 20110 1.0 3.0 2.0 2012 2.0 3.0 3.0 2.0 2013 1.0 0 0.5 0.5 *Repeat floweringwas rated using the following scale: 0 = no flowering; 1 = 10% fullbloom; 2 = 20 to 30% full bloom; 3 = 40 to 50% full bloom; 4 = at least60% full bloom.

TABLE 4 Panicle length, diameter and number of sub-panicles per panicleaveraged over 2011, 2012, and 2013. Measurements were made on fourtypical or average-sized panicles per plant per year. Mean Mean PaniclePanicle Number of Entry length (cm) diameter (cm) subpanicles/panicle‘V07-2’ 22.5 4.4 One long, two to four short ‘Salinas Pink’ 24.1 3.2 Onelong, two to four short

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying colored photographic illustrations show the overallappearance and distinct characteristics of the new cultivar of Vitexagnus-castus. The colors in the photographs are as close as possiblewith the photographic and printing technology utilized.

FIG. 1 is a photograph of the new variety ‘V07-2’ (left image) duringflowering in Griffin, Ga. and a photograph of ‘Salinas Pink’ (rightimage). ‘V07-2’ has darker pink flowers with a wider diameter than‘Salinas Pink’. ‘Salinas Pink’ has slighter longer panicles.

FIG. 2 is a close up of the new variety ‘V07-2’ during flowering inGriffin, Ga. on the left, and ‘Salinas Pink’ on the right, taken fromflower clusters of similar blooming stage.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of ‘V07-2’ (left image) and ‘Salinas Pink’ (rightimage) in peak bloom in Griffin, Ga. The form on ‘V07-2’ is more compactand rounded, while ‘Salinas Pink’ has an irregular form.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the Vitex agnus-castuscultivar named ‘V07-2’. Data was collected in Griffin, Ga. from threeyear old plants grown from cuttings and growing outdoors. ‘V07-2’ hasnot been tested under all possible conditions hence, phenotypicdifferences may be observed with variations in environmental conditionswithout any variance in genotype.

Throughout this specification, color names beginning with a small lettersignify that the name of that color, as used in common speech, is aptlydescriptive. Color names beginning with a capital letter designatevalues based upon the R.H.S. Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition published byThe Royal Horticultural Society (R.H.S.), London, England. Thisdescription is from observations of typical three year old plantsgrowing in Griffin, Ga.

-   Parentage: Female parent — ‘Salinas Pink’Male parent — ‘Abbeville    Blue’-   Size: 245 cm tall by 292 cm wide, measured at highest and widest    point. Size is reflective of habit, i.e., 2′ by 3′ is rounded to    broad-rounded.-   Habit: Open, spreading, upright.-   Texture: Medium coarse.-   Stems:    -   -   First year.—Color: Grey-Brown N199A Diameter: 4-5 mm            Pubescence: dense minute curved hairs, scattered longer            curved hairs Exfoliation: none Shape: Round Pith: Type:            Solid Diameter: 3 mm Color: Yellow-Green 150D Odor: strong,            spicy, acrid Internode Length: 6.5 cm.        -   Second year.—Color: Mix of Grey-Brown 199B and Brown 200N            Diameter: approx. 6 mm Exfoliation: none.-   Vegetative buds:    -   -   Arrangement.—opposite.        -   Type.—valvate.        -   Size.—1 mm×1 mm.        -   Scale number.—2.        -   Scale color.—Greyed-Orange 177C.        -   Position/disposition.—45°.        -   Number at node.—2, one on each side.        -   Pubescence.—scattered short hairs.        -   Shape.—domed, rounded, mostly covered by bud scales.-   Leaf scar:    -   -   Shape.—cup shaped.        -   Vascular bundle traces.—3, horizontal.        -   Pubescence.—dense minute airs around perimeter.        -   Position of bud.—just above.        -   Color differentiation.—Yellow-Green 144A.        -   Size.—2×3 mm.-   Trunk or large stems:    -   -   Color(s).—Mix of Greyed-White 156A and Greyed-Brown 199D.        -   Size stem exfoliation begins on.—Approximately 5 cm.        -   Diameter.—2.5 to 5.0 cm.        -   Texture.—striations start at 2.5 cm, cracking by 5.0 cm.-   Leaf:    -   -   Color through seasons.—Emerging dates — mid April Upper:            Green 137C Lower: Greyed-Green 191 B Summer dates — mid July            Upper: Green 137A Lower: Greyed-Green 191 B Fall dates —            September Upper: Yellow-Green 146A Lower: Yellow-Green 191            B.        -   Mature size.—13 cm×14 cm.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Margin.—mostly entire.        -   Shape.—palmate, mostly 7 leaflets. Lobes: None Sinuses:            none.        -   Vein color.—Yellow-Green 147D.        -   Pubescence.—Upper surface has many scattered hairs, with            more along the veins, slightly grandular surface. Lower leaf            is more densely hairy and has a very grandular surface.        -   Arrangement on stem.—Opposite.        -   Venation.—Simple.        -   Texture.—Thickness: 0.4 mm Degree of waxiness of surfaces:            slightly waxy on upper surface, dull on lower.-   Petiole:    -   -   Length.—4.3 cm.        -   Shape.—round.        -   Color.—upper Greyed-Orange 177A, lower Yellow-Green 145B            with some Greyed-Orange N167A.        -   Pubescence.—densely covered in minute slightly curved hairs.        -   Diameter.—1.7 mm.-   Flower buds:    -   -   Size (l×w).—5 mm×3.5 mm.        -   Color.—Red-Purple 65C.        -   Shape.—teardrop.        -   Pubescence.—glandular surface, tomentose.        -   Time of full maturity (first visible).—early summer.        -   Time range for showiness.—mid May through September.-   Flower:    -   -   Inflorescence(s).—Type: elongated panicle, compound,            slightly whorled Size (l×w): 22-26 cm×2.0-4.4 cm Color: at            emergence (date) — Red-Purple N74D full bloom (date) —            Red-Purple N74C fading (date) — Red-Purple 63D with            Red-Purple N74B Peduncle: Color: Greyed-Green 193A            Pubescence: glandular, tomentose Number of individual            flowers per inflorescence: 254-545, 315-632.        -   Petal(s).—Size: 10 mm×8 mm Shape: zygomorphic, gamopetalous,            bilabiate Apex: 5 lobes rounded and slightly curled Base:            funnel Margin: slightly curled Pubescence: mostly glabrous,            scattered glandular with thick tuft of hairs inside base and            many glandular hairs outside Texture: mostly smooth,            slightly punctate Color at peak of bloom: upper surface —            Red-Purple N74C lower surface — Red-Purple 65C Pedicels:            color (RHS) — Greyed-Green 193A pubescence — glandular,            tomentose length — 2-3 mm.        -   Sepal(s).—Size (l×w): 3 mm×2 mm Shape: united, slightly            lobed Apex: slightly lobed Base: united, short tubular            Margin: smooth Pubescence: glandular, tomentose, canescent            Texture: hoary Color at peak of bloom: upper surface —            Greyed-Green 198A with traces of Violet-Blue 94A lower            surfaces — lower Yellow-Green 144C with Violet-Blue 93C.        -   Male reproductive structures.—Number: 4 Anther: size (l×w) —            1 mm×0.5 mm color — White 155C Filament: size (l×w) — 5.5            mm×0.5 mm color — Red-Purple 69D Pollen color — White 155C            Pubescence — scattered short hairs with thick tuft at base.        -   Female reproductive structures.—Pistil: shape — tubular,            bifid size (l×w) — 6 mm×0.5 mm position (superior, inferior,            etc.) — superior color (RHS) — Violet 84B pubescence —            thickly tufted hairs at base Stigma: shape — round, bifid            color (RHS) — White 155C pubescence — none Style: length — 6            mm shape — tubular, forked at stigma (bifid) color (RHS) —            Violet 84B pubescence — glabrous, tufted at base Ovary:            shape — round number — 1 pubescence — scattered short hairs,            numerous glands present on surface.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—drupe-like.        -   Size (l×w).—4 mm×3 mm.        -   Color(s) during ripening.—early (date) — Yellow-Green 146D            mid (date) — Grey-Brown 199A and Grey-Brown 199B late (date)            — Brown 200D and Brown 200A        -   Shape.—globular.        -   Number per infructescence.—1.        -   Pubescence.—few scattered hairs, surface lightly            punticulate.        -   Number of carpels.—2.        -   Persistence (effective period).—mid to late summer through            fall into winter.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—globular.        -   Size.—4 mm×3 mm.        -   Color.—Brown 200A when fully ripe.        -   Number per locule per ovary per fruit.—1.        -   Germination capacity.—≈30%.        -   Pubescence.—scattered minute hairs.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of the Vitexagnus-castus plant named ‘V07-2’ substantially as illustrated anddescribed herein.